MLBAM – Page 4

PGA Tour’s live-action online service for Thursday-Friday rounds debuts this week at $4.99 per month

July 28, 2015 by Paul Kapustka Leave a Comment

Screen shot of PGA TOUR LIVE service on iPhone. Photo: PGA Tour

The PGA’s over-the-top live action service for Thursday and Friday rounds debuts this week during the Quicken Loans National event, with a seven-day free trial before the $4.99 per month charge applies.

Announced earlier this year, the service produced by Major League Baseball’s Advanced Media (MLBAM) operations will be initially available for any desktop devices at PGATOURLIVE.com, but only for Apple iPhones and iPads on the mobile front. According to the PGA Tour the service will be available through Android and other platforms “at a later date.”

Here’s the official skinny on who you’ll be able to watch live (yes of course tournament “host” Tiger Woods will be part of the coverage) as part of the service’s “marquee group” format, which basically follows selected groups of players over their entire round. For those who can’t get enough golf it will be an interesting “second screen” to the Golf Channel cable coverage of Thursday and Friday rounds.

PGA TOUR LIVE debuts Thursday at 7:30 a.m. ET and will provide exclusive shot-by-shot coverage of the following groups on Thursday: 8:10 a.m., THE PLAYERS champion Rickie Fowler paired with Ben Crane and James Hahn; 8:21 a.m., former Quicken Loans National champion and The Presidents Cup 2015 International Team vice-captain K.J. Choi from host country South Korea with International Team hopefuls Danny Lee of New Zealand and John Senden of Australia.

Friday’s 8:10 a.m. feature group includes three former Quicken Loans National champions: tournament host Tiger Woods, Bill Haas and Nick Watney. At 8:21 a.m., defending Quicken Loans National champion Justin Rose tees off with Jimmy Walker, No. 3 in the FedExCup points standings with two wins this season, and David Lingmerth of Sweden, who won his first PGA TOUR title last month at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance.

Following the conclusion of the featured groups on Thursday and Friday, PGA TOUR LIVE will shift its live broadcast coverage to the Featured Holes at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club – a pair of par-3s, the 11th and 16th. Overall, PGA TOUR LIVE will deliver access to more than 11 hours of live coverage to fans each day.

For the remainder of the season, PGA TOUR LIVE will be available during the following tournaments: next week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational (Aug. 6-7), the Wyndham Championship (Aug. 20-21), and then the FedExCup Playoff events: The Barclays (Aug. 27-28), Deutsche Bank Championship (Sept. 4-5, which actually is Friday-Saturday with a Monday finish), BMW Championship (Sept. 17-18) and the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola (Sept. 24-25). According to the PGA, the $4.99 charge is good for 30 days whenever it is purchased, so time your buy accordingly.

Filed Under: Apple, Apps, Golf, Golf Channel, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Major League Baseball, PGA Tagged With: Apple, MLBAM, Mobile Sports Report, Paul Kapustka, PGA

All-Star Wi-Fi: Cincinnati crowds used 4.3 TB over All-Star Game activities

July 17, 2015 by Paul Kapustka Leave a Comment

Fans at All-Star Game taking pictures of Pete Rose. Photo: Screenshot courtesy Fox Sports/Cincinnati Reds

Like a player added to the roster just before game time, the new Wi-Fi network at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati handled some all-star traffic levels, carrying a total of 4.3 terabytes of data over the three separate events that made up Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game festivities earlier this week, according to IT execs at the ballpark.

Though it only came online a couple weeks before the big event, the GABP Wi-Fi network held up admirably for the big game, carrying 2.36 TB during Tuesday night’s main event, according to Brian Keys, vice president of technology for the Cincinnati Reds. Almost another 2 TB was recorded during the ancillary events, the futures game and the Home Run Derby, proving once again that “big event” crowds like their Wi-Fi and are adept and finding and using in-stadium wireless networks. We don’t have DAS stats yet but it’s an easy guess that all four DAS deployments inside the stadium also carried significant traffic loads during the All-Star activities.

In a phone interview Friday, Keys said that the peak concurrent Wi-Fi user number hit 9,700 at one point during the actual All-Star Game, with a total of 12,000 unique Wi-Fi connections over all of Tuesday night. And even though the game attracts a national audience, the hometown fans provided the biggest traffic surges during Cincinnati Reds-specific moments — like at the end of Monday’s Home Run Derby when local hero Todd Frazier won in dramatic fashion, and when former Reds star Pete Rose had a brief pre-game introduction.

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“Especially when Todd [Frazier] got up to bat, that really tested the limits of our [bandwidth] pipe,” Keys said. The Rose introduction, he said, put similar stress on the 576 Wi-Fi access points, but with Keys’ staff as well as a special group from Wi-Fi gear provider Cisco on hand to help out, the new network performed in big-league fashion, Keys said.

During construction, the IT team had to overcome one structural hurdle, namely the lack of any railings in the lower bowl to mount Wi-Fi APs on. Keys said some of that was solved by putting APs at the bottom of seating rows pointing up, and using overhang space for other antenna mounts. The Great American Ball Park did not use any under-seat APs, Keys said.

Pete Rose. Photo: Screen shot of Fox Sports broadcast courtesy of Cincinnati Reds.

Though the ballpark had explored putting Wi-Fi in last season, the initial deployment was stalled last summer due to what Keys called contract issues. But with the All-Star game coming this season, the park re-started its Wi-Fi deployment, which was part of the Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) plan to bring Wi-Fi to all parks for this season. Keys said the new network deployment began in March and finished up on June 26, giving his team a few home dates to kick the tires and tune it up quickly for its big event.

Going forward, Keys said the four-DAS deployment — with four sets of antennas and four different headends — will be consolidated into a single, neutral host DAS operation. Keys is also looking forward to adding features enabled by the Wi-Fi network, like expanded food ordering and greater use of beacon technology. “It’ll be great to add more things to improve the fan experience,” he said.

Filed Under: 4G LTE, All Star Game, Apps, AT&T, Baseball, Cincinnati, Cisco, DAS, Fox Sports, Major League Baseball, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Wi-Fi Tagged With: 4G LTE, AT&T, Cincinnati Reds, Great American Ball Park, MLB, MLBAM, Mobile Sports Report, Paul Kapustka, Stadium Wi-Fi, Verizon Wireless, Wi-Fi

All-Star Game has DAS Grand Slam: Four different DAS systems online at Great American Ball Park

July 14, 2015 by Paul Kapustka Leave a Comment

Google Map screenshot of Cincinnati riverfront area, showing Paul Brown Stadium and the Great American Ball Park. Somewhere in between is a DAS headend.

Call it the DAS grand slam — to cover wireless customer demand, the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati has four separate DAS deployments, one for each of the major U.S. wireless carriers, which are probably all getting a workout at tonight’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Brian Keys, vice president of technology for the Cincinnati Reds, confirmed Tuesday that there are four separate DAS (distributed antenna system) networks in the ballpark, one each for AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile. Through several interviews Mobile Sports Report was able to confirm that Solid is providing the gear for the Verizon DAS, and another source said that ADRF is providing the DAS for Sprint.

We also had a long interview with the folks at TE Connectivity, who initially installed a 2G/3G/4G DAS in the venue in 2011, and recently upgraded that DAS, adding support for the 2100 MHz AWS spectrum. And while TE Connectivity was not at liberty to name the carrier for which it provides the DAS, by process of elimination we are fairly confident that their customer is AT&T. T-Mobile, which is also on its own DAS in the park, is also believed to be a Solid customer but we haven’t yet confirmed that fact.

Why are there four systems in Cincinnati? We haven’t yet had a chance to talk to Brian Keys (he’s been a little bit busy this week) but it’s fairly likely that it was just a fairly normal occurrence in the DAS world — one big carrier doesn’t want to join a DAS already installed by another big carrier, so it just funds its own. At the Great American Ball Park, Verizon’s decision to build its own DAS may have been in part because the carrier already has a DAS headend facility nearby, serving Paul Brown Stadium, the GABP’s riverfront neighbor. In fact, the Solid folks told us Tuesday that both the baseball DAS and the football DAS for Verizon are served out of the same facility, which makes sense.

The TE Connectivity DAS, for the client it couldn’t name (AT&T!), was also recently upgraded to cover areas outside the stadium, including the parking lots, a trend we are seeing more of as venues realize that fans want connectivity the moment they arrive, not just when they’re in their seats. We’ll try to get more details on this somewhat unique DAS situation — which was also apparently approved by the technical and business folks at MLBAM, which helped bring a Wi-Fi upgrade to the park this past offseason — but for the meantime, let’s just be glad that customers of all four of the major U.S. carriers had DAS support at Tuesday’s All-Star Game — in their own private and separate ways.

Filed Under: 4G LTE, All Star Game, AT&T, Baseball, Cincinnati, DAS, Google, Major League Baseball, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Wi-Fi Tagged With: AT&T, AWS, Cincinnati Reds, DAS, DAS headend, Great American Ball Park, MLB, MLB All-Star Game, MLBAM, Mobile Sports Report, Paul Brown Stadium, Paul Kapustka, spectrum, Sprint, Stadium Wi-Fi, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless

MLB Stadium Tech and Wi-Fi Reports — AL Central

July 13, 2015 by Paul Kapustka Leave a Comment

Editor’s note: The following team-by-team capsule reports of MLB stadium technology deployments are an excerpt from our most recent Stadium Tech Report, THE BASEBALL (And Soccer!) ISSUE. To get all the capsules in one place as well as our featured reports, interviews and analysis, download your free copy of the full report today.

AL Central

Reporting by Paul Kapustka

Kauffman Stadium during 2014 World Series

Kansas City Royals
Kauffman Stadium
Seating Capacity: 37,903
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes (under construction)

Venerable Kauffman Stadium turned on its MLBAM-powered Wi-Fi network just in time for the Royals’ historic run to the World Series last year, where it was found and enjoyed by true blue fans even without any promotion. A new four-carrier neutral DAS is under construction for 2015.

Minnesota Twins
Target Field
Seating Capacity: 39,504
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

Host of the 2014 All-Star Game, Twins fans can now enjoy the Wi-Fi and DAS networks installed last year. MLBAM helped install the Wi-Fi network, while the DAS includes gear and expertise from InSite Wireless and TE Connectivity.

Chicago White Sox
U.S. Cellular Field
Seating Capacity: 40,615
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

One of the losers in the MLBAM program to bring Wi-Fi to all stadiums was Boingo Wireless, the previous provider of Wi-Fi at U.S. Cellular Field. For 2015, a MLBAM network will be in place with 550 new APs from MLBAM equipment provider Cisco.

Detroit Tigers
Comerica Park
Seating Capacity: 41,681
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes (under construction)

Tigers fans are yet another group who have in-park Wi-Fi this season courtesy of MLB, with 600 APs installed for the 2015 season. A full-featured DAS is currently under construction, and is expected to be operational by mid-season with all four major wireless carriers participating.

Cleveland Indians
Progressive Field
Seating Capacity: 43,545
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

Recognized as one of baseball’s most Twitter-friendly teams, the Cleveland Indians have stepped up their game with not one but two social media areas inside the stadium that will take advantage of the Verizon-powered Wi-Fi. Formerly known as the Social Suite, the Indians now have #Tribelive, which will have its own seating section inside a right-field bar; Cleveland will also have a Family Social Suite, in a more kid-friendly environment.

Filed Under: 4G LTE, All Star Game, AT&T, Baseball, Cisco, DAS, Major League Baseball, Minnesota Twins, Wi-Fi Tagged With: 4G LTE, AT&T, DAS, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MLBAM, Mobile Sports Report, Paul Kapustka, Stadium Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi, World Series

MLB Stadium Tech Reports — AL West

July 10, 2015 by Paul Kapustka Leave a Comment

AL West

Reporting by Paul Kapustka

The iconic sign outside the “Big A,” aka Angels Stadium of Anaheim. Credit Terry Sweeney, MSR

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Seating Capacity: 45,050
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

Angel Stadium is now fully wired for Wi-Fi and DAS, courtesy of integrator 5 Bars, which used Wi-Fi gear from Ruckus Wireless and DAS gear from JMA Wireless.

Houston Astros
Minute Maid Park
Seating Capacity: 40,963
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

The Houston Astros were one of the beneficiaries of MLB’s program to bring updated Wi-Fi to all stadiums. The new network was scheduled to be live for the 2015 season.

Seattle Mariners
Safeco Field
Seating Capacity: 47,476
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

Finally, geeks of all stripes in Seattle can stay connected while at Safeco, thanks to a new Wi-Fi network with 560 access points that is scheduled to be live for the 2015 season. New LED lighting for the field should make it easier to watch games through the rain and mist.

Oakland A’s
O.co Coliseum
Seating Capacity: 35,067
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

With Wi-Fi already in place the Oakland A’s spent $10 million in the offseason to upgrade the video boards in aging O.co Coliseum. The two new HD Daktronics screens, 36 feet high and 145 feet wide, were joined by new ribbon LED boards to bring more info to fans.

Texas Rangers
Global Life Park in Arlington
Seating Capacity: 48,114
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

The team isn’t talking about it publicly yet, but according to MLBAM there is now a working Wi- Fi network and a DAS at Global Life Park in Arlington, one of the latest beneficiaries of the MLB program to bring Wi-Fi to all MLB parks.

Filed Under: 4G LTE, AT&T, Baseball, Cisco, DAS, Los ANgeles Angeles of Anaheim, Major League Baseball, Texas Rangers, Wi-Fi Tagged With: AL West, Anaheim Stadium, DAS, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, MLB, MLBAM, Mobile Sports Report, Oakland A's, Paul Kapustka, Stadium Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi

MLB Stadium Tech Reports — NL Central

July 8, 2015 by Paul Kapustka Leave a Comment

UPDATE: This version fixes the report for Milwaukee’s Miller Park.

NL Central

Reporting by Paul Kapustka

Chicago Cubs
Wrigley Field
Seating Capacity: 41,160
Wi-Fi – No
DAS – Yes

For those hoping to use Wi-Fi at Wrigley Field, it’s “wait until next year” as the ongoing stadium renovations have forced the team to suspend the Wi-Fi services it had previously installed.

Look for an enhanced Wi-Fi and DAS network next season at the Friendly Confines (which now has outfield video boards)

St. Louis Cardinals
Busch Stadium
Seating Capacity: 50,345
Wi-Fi – No (under construction)
DAS – Yes

Finally, Wi-Fi is coming to Busch Stadium, with plans to have the MLB- installed network live sometime after the All-Star break but before the end of the season.

Milwaukee Brewers
Miller Park
Seating Capacity: 42,200
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes (two systems)

Free fan Wi-Fi went live at Miller Park on opening day this season (April 6, 2015). The network was built as part of the MLBAM initiative; there are 600 APs covering all areas of the ballpark and ticket gates. Miller Park also has two DAS deployments, one a neutral host DAS run by AT&T that also currently carries Sprint traffic, as well as a standalone DAS for Verizon Wireless.

Pittsburgh Pirates
PNC Park
Seating Capacity: 38,496
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

One of the most-loved facilities in baseball, PNC Park, is now Wi-Fi enabled thanks to your friends at MLBAM.

Cincinnati Reds
Great American Ball Park
Seating Capacity: 42,036
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

Though it already had some Wi-Fi, Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark is getting a network upgrade this season thanks to MLBAM, which wants the park to be uber-connected for this summer’s All-Star Game.

Filed Under: 4G LTE, AT&T, Baseball, Chicago Cubs, Cisco, DAS, Major League Baseball, Wi-Fi Tagged With: Busch Stadium, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, DAS, Great American Ball Park, Major League Baseball, Miller Park, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, MLBAM, Mobile Sports Report, Paul Kapustka, St. Louis Cardinals, Stadium Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi, Wrigley Field

PGA Tour’s live-action online service for Thursday-Friday rounds debuts this week at $4.99 per month

All-Star Wi-Fi: Cincinnati crowds used 4.3 TB over All-Star Game activities

All-Star Game has DAS Grand Slam: Four different DAS systems online at Great American Ball Park

MLB Stadium Tech and Wi-Fi Reports — AL Central

AL Central

MLB Stadium Tech Reports — AL West

AL West

MLB Stadium Tech Reports — NL Central

NL Central

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